By Fatou Sillah
The Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, has said that internal tensions and factionalism within the United Democratic Party (UDP) played a decisive role in his departure from the party.
Speaking at a rally of his new political movement, the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), held in Buffer Zone, Mr. Bensouda reflected on his time in the UDP, emphasizing his past loyalty and contributions to the party’s electoral efforts.
“I was part of the UDP before. I put all my heart there, and I wanted Ba Ousainou Darboe to be president in 2021,” he said. “I did all I could, but God decided otherwise.”
Mr. Bensouda said that growing divisions within the party, as well as what he described as “destroyers,” created an environment that ultimately pushed him to leave. He suggested that internal actors sought to conflate his political standing with that of Mr. Darboe, contributing to tensions within the party.
“The time came when many said that maybe Mayor Bensouda is the one who could salvage us, but the destroyers in the party mixed us together,” he said. “I believe in myself and in God, and I left the party for them.”
Following his exit, Mr. Bensouda said he resolved to chart his own political course, leading to the formation of the Unite Movement for Change. He described the decision as one rooted in confidence in his vision and growing support base.
“They say anybody who believes in themselves should establish their own party, and that is what we did,” he said. “We established our own party, the Unite Movement for Change.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Bensouda expressed strong confidence in the movement’s electoral prospects, predicting victory in the 2026 presidential election.
“And it will be the ruling party on December 6, 2026,” he said. “Nobody should be angry or cry, because we did not take anybody’s resources. We believe in ourselves and in what we say, and today Gambians have bought into our message.”
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